5 Mistakes That People With Emotional Intelligence Never MakeBy Guest Post | In Communication, Leadership, Your Career | February 26, 2015Emotional intelligence quotient or EQ has become such a buzzword these days, we often tune out when we hear people talk about it. Many of us perceie emotional intelligence as a cleer term to conince us to be more empathetic. Emotional intelligence, howeer, goes well beyond empathy. !hen we"re emotionally intelligent, we hae mastered our emotions # and that"s no easy task.$ou might hae witnessed people losing it in business. %hey cry in frustration. %hey shout and slam doors. %hey threaten to leae. %hey plead. &n short, they let their negatie emotions drie their behaior. %heir colorful behaior is then usually followed by employees gossiping at the water cooler with the 'nal result being long(lasting damage to the person"s personal brand. )nfortunately, anyone with a weak personal brand has little chance of professional adancement.%his is why as oerused as the term emotional intelligence might be, we must pay attention to it. %he following are 'e common mistakes emotionally intelligent people neer make. *oid these mistakes to keep your brand strong and to help you adance on the path to success.1. You dont pay attention to nonverbal signals.Most of our communication is nonerbal. +eing able to read between the lines ,or between the gestures- is essential in order to collaborate with others and to e.ert in/uence.0ocus on the nonerbal cues of those around you so you can ask the right questions. 0or e.ample, if your gut feeling tells you that you"re confusing people, ask whether you can e.plain yourself better. %his allows people to feel that you get them, and then they will be compelled to share their ideas with you. !hen you"re a good listener, you become an ally.2. You dont think emotions should play a role in business or decision making.$ou might hae heard statements such as, Emotions hae no place in business, 1on"t let your emotions get in the way, or 1on"t let them see you cry. Many supposedly say business people act under the premise that being in touch with one"s emotions is a weakness, when in reality it"s astrength. !hat"s actually a weakness is not recognizing our emotions or letting negatie emotions rule our thoughts and behaiors.$our intuition should be one of your most powerful tools for decision making. $our gut feeling can tell you what your conscious mind is too busy to notice. %o access your intuition, howeer, you must 'rst acknowledge your emotions, and then 'gure out the root cause of any negatie emotions. 2top calling emotions a hindrance, and instead iew them as a guidance system. My rule of thumb is, & neer do anything that feels off.3. You call yourself impatient.*dopting a label such as impatient to de'ne yourself proides an e.cuse for impulsie behaior and inconsistency. Many businesses and pro3ects with incredible potential are either abandoned for the sake of impatience, or produce poor or mediocre results because of the haste with which they are planned and e.ecuted. &mpatience can cause lost opportunity and additional work to '. mistakes created from rushing.+oost your EQ by working diligently to reach your goals while preparing for contingencies. %rust in your ability to succeed, een if the process to create what you desire takes longer than you e.pected.4. When people are upset, you assume its because of something you said or did.+eing easily offended coneys lack of control oer your emotions, which translates into a low EQ. &t"s tempting to blame those who are upset for their own lack of emotional control. &t"s easy to say that they should be theones to '. themseles. 4oweer, blaming others is giing them control of our thoughts and behaiors. 4aing a high EQ requires us to take charge of our lies, not the lies of others.&nstead of becoming offended or blaming others for your current situation, become a more attentie listener. *sk questions to determine whether there"s a problem that needs to be soled, and whether you need to be part of the solution. 5eep in mind that eeryone around you is dealing with his or her own set of challenges, which in most cases are not related to you.. You regret things you said or did !hen you !ere upset.6egret is a clear sign that you"re allowing your negatie emotions to reign. &nstead of feeling guilty for what you do, ealuate your past actions to learn about yourself. !hat made you lose control of your emotions7 !hat are your hot buttons and why did they became hot in the 'rst place7 $ou might discoer beliefs that don"t sere you, and since beliefs are only thoughts that you keep thinking, you hae the power to change or eliminate beliefs that limit you.1ecide to take control of your emotions, and start using your intuition as acompass that will guide you to deeper connections and more rewarding social interactions."bout the "uthorPost by: Cloris Kylie8loris 5ylie, M+*, is a performance coach, seminar leader, author, and radio show host. 2he offers coaching and training in personal branding, communications, public speaking, social media platforms, &nternet marketing, and career deelopment. *n adanced %oastmaster and sought(after lecturer, 8loris has been featured on arious teleision and radio shows, and her articles hae been published on personal deelopment and business websites with millions of followers.